Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

APPLETON, Wis. (May 28, 2017) – Staving off elimination in the first game of the day, the North Central College baseball team walked off with a 5-4 win after a University of Massachusetts-Boston error allowed the game-winning run to score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, as the Cardinals stay alive in the 2017 NCAA Division III College World Series and will play again later this evening.

North Central (31-17) actually had a chance to close out the game in the top of the ninth, as Anthony Sear singled to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.  After a groundout put the pressure on the Beacons, Josh Lopez lined a 2-2 pitch down the left field line, scoring Sear to knot the game 4-4. 

After a flyout to the warning track ended the top of the ninth, Colin Weilbacher started the bottom of the ninth by lining a double the opposite way, forcing a UMass-Boston pitching change.  After a pair of flyouts looked to doom the Cardinals chances, Michael Mateja was walked intentionally to get to Jeremy Quade.

Quade battled to draw the count full before bouncing a sharp grounder to third that was bobbled by the Beacon third baseman, allowing Weilbacher to come home with the winning run.

The game began as a pitcher's duel through the opening five innings as each starting pitcher allowed just one run to that point, but a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth came around to score on a sacrifice fly to give the Beacons a 2-1 advantage.

The Cardinals countered immediately however, as Quade singled through the left side to begin the bottom of the sixth, before Nick Sotiros crushed a two-run bomb off the scoreboard in left to give North Central their first lead of the contest 3-2.

The North Central was not finished in the sixth either, as Sing Fong drew a two-out walk and scored from first on a Weilbacher double off the left field wall, increasing the lead 4-2.

That lead stood up heading into the top of the eighth, plating a run on another sacrifice fly before tying the game with another run in the ninth.

Nick Rogalski was credited with the win despite allowing the tying run to score in the top of the ninth in relief of Russell Hoh who allowed three earned on five hits over his seven innings, receiving a no-decision.

Weilbacher led the Cardinal offense going 2-for-4 from the plate with a run scored and RBI, while Sotiros finished 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored and two RBI.  Mateja did not record a hit but walked twice, advancing his reached-base streak to the last 43 games.

North Central stays alive and will face 15^th-ranked California Lutheran University in a re-match of last night's contest as we are down to the final four team at the College World Series, slated to begin at 8:45 p.m.  The link to the tournament website is available HERE.